Terrors attend the wondrous way
That brings thy mercies down.
8 [Thy voice, with terror in the found,
Through clouds and darknefs broke;
All heaven in lightning fhone around,
And earth with thunder fhook.
9 Thine arrows through the fky were hurl'd:
How glorious is the Lord!
Surprife and trembling feiz'd the world,
And his own faints ador'd.
10 He gave them water from the rock,
And fafe, by Mofes' hand,
Through a dry defart led his flock
Home to the promis'd land.]
PSALM LXXVIII. 1ft Part. Com. Metre. [x] Providences of God recorded; or, pious education and inftruction of children.
Lich God perform'd of old,
ET children hear the mighty deeds
Which in our younger years we saw,
And which our fathers told.
2 He bids us make his glories known;
His works of power and grace;
And we'll convey his wonders down,
Through every rifing race.
3 Our lips fhall tell them to our fons,
And they again to their's;
That generations yet unborn
May teach them to their heirs.
4 Thus fhall they learn in God alone
Their hope fecurely ftands;
That they may ne'er forget his works,
But practife his commands.
PSALM LXXVIII. 2d Part. Com. Metre. [b] Ifrael's rebellion and punishment; or, the fins and chaftifements of God's prople.
WHAT a fiff rebellious house
Was Jacob's ancient race!
Ealfe to their own moft folemn vows,
And to their Maker's grace.
They broke the covenant of his love,
And did his laws deípife,
Forgot the works he wrought to prove
His power before their eyes.
3 They faw the plagues on Egypt light,
From his avenging hand;
What dreadful tokens of his might
Spread o'er that stubborn land.
4 They faw him cleave the mighty fea,
And march in fafety through,
With watery walls to guard their way,
Till they had 'fcap'd the foe.
5 A wondrous pillar mark'd the road,
Compos'd of fhade and light;
By day it prov'd a fheltering cloud,
A leading fire by night.
6 He from the rock their thirst supply'd;
The gufhing waters fell,
And ran in rivers by their fide,
A conftant miracle.
7 Yet they provok'd the Lord most high,
And dar'd diftruft his hand;
"Can he with bread our hofts fupply
"Amidst this defert land ?"
8 The Lord with indignation heard,
And caus'd his wrath to flame;
*His terrors ever ftand prepar'd
To vindicate his name.
PSALM LXXVIII. 3d Part. Com. M. [*] The punishment of luxury and intemperance; or, chaf tifement and falvation.
1 WHEN Ifrael fins, the Lord reproves,
And fills their hearts with dread;
Yet he forgives the men he loves,
And fends them heavenly bread.
2 He fed them with a liberal hand,
And made his treafures known;
He gave the midnight clouds command
To pour provifion down.
3 The manna, like a morning shower,
Lay thick around their feet:
The corn of heaven, fo light, fo pure,
As though 'twere angels' meat.
4 But they in murmuring language faid,
"Manna is all our feaft,
"We lothe this light, this airy bread; "We must have flefh to tafle."
5 "Ye fhall have flesh to please your luft,"
The Lord, in wrath, reply'd;
And fent them quails, like fand or duft,
Heap'd up from fide to fide.
6 He gave them all their own defire;
And greedy as they fed,
His vengeance burnt with fecret fire,
And Imote the rebels dead.
7 When fome were flain, the reft return'd,
And fought the Lord with tears;
Under the rod they fear'd and mourn'd,
But foon forgot their fears.
8 Oft he chaftis'd, and ftill forgave,
Till, by his gracious hand,
The nation he refolv'd to fave
Poffefs'd the promis'd land.
PSALM LXXVIII. Long Metre. [b]
Backfliding and forgiveness; or, fin punished, and Jaints faved.
REAT God, how oft did Ifrael prove
G By turns thine anger and thy love!
There in a glafs our hearts may fee
How fickle and how falfe they be.
2 How foon the faithlefs Jews forgot
The dreadful wonders God had wrought!
Then they provoke him to his face,
Nor fear his power, nor truft his grace.
3 The Lord confum'd their years in pain,
And made their travels long and vain;
A tedious march, through unknown ways,
Wore out their ftrength, and spent their days.
Oft when they faw their brethren flain,
They mourn'd and fought the Lord again;
Call'd him the Rock of their abode,
Their high Redeemer and their God.
and vows before him rife,
As flattering words, or folemn lies,
While their rebellious tempers prove
Falfe to his covenant, and his love.
6 Yet did his fovereign grace forgive
The men who ne'er deferv'd to live ;
His anger oft away he turn'd,
Or elfe with gentle flame it burn'd.
7 He faw their flesh was weak and frail,
He faw temptations still prevail;
The God of Abra'm lov'd them ftill,
And led them to his holy hill.
PSALM LXXX. Long Metre. [b] The church's prayer under affliction; or, the vineyard of God wasted.
GREAT Shepherd of thine Ifrael,
Who didft between the cherubs dwell,
And led the tribes, thy chofen fheep,
Safe through the defart and the deep;
2 Thy church is in the defart now,
Shine from on high, and guide it through;
Turn us to thee, thy love reftore,
We fhall be fav'd, and figh no more.
3 Great God, whom heavenly hosts obey,
How long fhall we lament and pray,
And wait in vain thy kind return?
How long fhall thy fierce anger burn?
4 Inftead of wine and cheerful bread,
Thy faints with their own tears are fed;
Turn us to thee, thy love reftore,
We fhall be fav'd, and figh no more.
PAUSE I.
5 Haft thou not planted with thy hands
A lovely vine in heathen lands?
Did not thy power defend it round,
And heavenly dews enrich the ground?
6 How did the fpreading branches fhoot,
And bleft the nations with their fruit!
But now, dear Lord, look down and fee
Thy mourning vine, that lovely tree.
7 Why is its beauty thus defac'd?
Why haft thou laid her fences wafte?
Strangers and foes against her join,
And every beaft devours the vine.
8 Return, Almighty God, return;
Nor let thy bleeding vineyard mourn;
Turn us to thee, thy love restore;
We fhall be fav'd, and figh no more.
PAUSE II.
9 Lord, when this vine in Canaan grew,
Thou waft its ftrength and glory too!
Attack'd in vain by all its foes,
Till the fair Branch of Promife rofe.
10 Fair Branch, ordain'd of old to fhoot
From David's flock, from Jacob's root;
Himself a noble vine, and we
The leffer branches of the tree.
11 'Tis thine own Son! and he fhall ftand,
Girt with thy ftrength, at thy right hand;
Thy firft-born Son, adorn'd and bleft
With power and grace above the rest.
12 Oh! for his fake attend our cry;
Shine on thy churches, left they die;
Turn us to thee, thy love restore;
We fhall be fav'd, and figh no more.
PSALM LXXXI. Short Metre.
Ver. 1, 8-16. The warnings of God to his people; or, Spiritual bleffings and punishments. to the Lord aloud,
Nnd make a joyful noife;
God is our ftrength, our Saviour God,
Let Ifrael hear his voice.
"From vile idolatry
"Preferve my worship clean;
"I am the Lord who fet thee free
"From flavery and from fin.
"Stretch thy defires abroad,
"And I'll fupply them well:
"But if ye will refufe your God,
"If Ifrael will rebel;
"I'll leave them," faith the Lord,
"To their own lufts a prey,
"And let them run the dangerous road;
"Tis their own chofen way.
"Yet, O! that all my faints
"Would hearken to my voice!
"Soon I would eafe their fore complaints,
"And bid their hearts rejoice.
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